An example of extreme incompetence was a Californian orthopaedist with millions of dollars in malpractice judgements against him, including those from patients left crippled or paralyzed, and who had admitted under oath that he performed complicated and dangerous spinal surgery when it was unnecessary. Several news reports confirm that colleagues lied for him, intervened at the operating table to keep him from botching delicate procedures, and, on occasion performed follow-up operations to repair damage that he caused, all without taking action to restrict his further practice. When eventually they did restrict his hospital privileges, they did it so quietly that he simply continued to work at another hospital in the same town.